Indication device for a laundry washing machine

ABSTRACT

An indication device for a laundry washing machine, which has a treatment chamber ( 12 ) for laundry that can be pressurized in order to treat the laundry with a cleaning agent. The treatment chamber is provided with an opening ( 13 ), which in the treatment position is covered by a door ( 16 ) fixed to a surrounding housing ( 11 ) and is sealed from the housing by means of a sealing arrangement. The sealing arrangement comprises at least two gaskets ( 19, 20 ) surrounding the opening and forming an intermediate space ( 23 ) that via a channel ( 24 ) is arranged to communicate with atmosphere.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an indication device for a laundry washingmachine. The washing machine comprises a treatment chamber for laundrythat is pressurized in order to treat the laundry with a cleaning agent.The chamber has an opening, which in the treatment position is coveredby a door fixed to a surrounding housing and is sealed from the housingby means of a sealing arrangement.

Laundry washing machines of the type mentioned above are previouslyknown and have been developed because of environmental reasons toreplace chemical washing machines in which, for instance,trichloroethylene or perchloroethylene are used. In these alternativemachines, a cleaning agent such as carbon dioxide is used in liquidstate. However, there is a complication with respect to this techniquesince the washing chamber has to be under pressure during the treatmentprocedure. Machines of this type are described, for instance, in U.S.Pat. No. 5,267,455.

The sealing of the door, in particular the sealing device that isarranged around the fill opening of the machine, is often exposed towear. Because of the high pressure, there is a risk for gas leakage fromthe treatment chamber, which would not be observed by people around themachine.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a simple and cost-effective sealing arrangementcomprising an indication means intended to call upon the attention ofpeople around a laundry washing machine that a gas leak from thetreatment chamber has occurred. This is achieved by means of a devicecomprising a treatment chamber for laundry with an opening, which in atreatment position, is covered by a door fixed to a surrounding housingand is sealed from the housing by means of a sealing arrangement. Thechamber is pressurized to treat laundry with a cleaning agent, and thesealing arrangement is provided with at least two gaskets surroundingthe opening and forming an intermediate space. The space is arranged tocommunicate with the atmosphere via a channel such that a soundindication is achieved if there is gas leakage to the intermediatespace.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference tothe accompanying figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a machine with an embodiment of theinvention, and

FIG. 2 is view of an enlargement of a section through part of the doorportion of the machine in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The laundry washing machine shown in FIG. 1 comprises a frame 10supporting a pressure housing 11 that forms a treatment chamber 12 witha circular fill opening 13. The chamber 12 encloses a drum 14 that isrotatably supported by means of a horizontal shaft extending through arear wall of the chamber 12 and which is driven by an electric motor(not shown). The drum 14 has, in a conventional manner, an opening 15,which is mainly as large as the fill opening 13 and coaxial with it.During the washing process, the fill opening 13 is covered by a door 16,which via a hinge (not shown), is fastened to a flange portion 17surrounding the opening of the front wall 18 of the housing 11.

The door is sealed from the flange part 17 by means of a sealingarrangement comprising two concentric gaskets 19 and 20 designed asO-rings. The first O-ring 19 has a smaller diameter than the secondO-ring 20. Each O-rings is inserted into a groove 21 and 22,respectively, in the door and is maintained in the groove because of thedovetail shape of the groove. An intermediate space 23 is locatedbetween the two O-rings and is via a channel or gas passage 24 connectedto atmosphere.

The sealing arrangement operates in the following manner. When the door16 is closed and pressurized gas, for instance, liquid carbon dioxide,has filled into the treatment chamber 12, the inner gasket 19 seals thetreatment chamber from the surroundings. Should any damage occur on thegasket 19, gas will leak out into the space 23 and flow through thechannel 24. Since the channel is designed such that it also serves as arestriction for small amounts of gas leaking to the space 23, acharacteristic whistling sound occurs, thus, indicating for thesurroundings that the sealing effect is unsatisfactory and thatmeasurements should be taken to repair the fault.

The described sealing arrangement is not limited to the described use atthe fill opening of a laundry washing machine, but may be used for otherdoors or details arranged in the wall of the treatment chamber.

While the invention has been described with reference to a specificembodiment, various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted for elements thereof by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. In addition, othermodifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or method tothe teachings of the invention without departing from the essentialscope thereof. The present invention herein is not to be construed asbeing limited, except insofar as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An indication device for a laundry washingmachine, the washing machine comprising: a treatment chamber (12) forlaundry with an opening (13) which in a treatment position is covered bya door (16) fixed to a surrounding housing (11) and is sealed from thehousing by means of sealing arrangement, and the chamber (12) ispressurized to treat laundry with a cleaning agent, and the sealingarrangement comprises at least two gaskets (19, 20) surrounding theopening and forming an intermediate space (23) which via a channel (24)is arranged to communicate with atmosphere such that a sound indicationis achieved by gas entering into the intermediate space and flowingthrough the channel to atmosphere if there is a gas leakage into theintermediate space.
 2. An indication device according to claim 1,wherein said opening (13) forms a fill opening to the treatment chamber.3. Indication device according to claim 1, wherein the opening (13) ismainly circular.
 4. An indication device according to claim 1, whereinthe gaskets (19, 20) comprise O-rings having different diameters.
 5. Anindication device according to clam 1, wherein the channel (24) isdesigned such that it serves as a restriction for out flowing gas.
 6. Anindication device according to claim 5, wherein a characteristicwhistling sound is produced by gas flowing through the restriction. 7.An indication device for a laundry washing machine comprising: atreatment chamber for laundry; an opening in the treatment chamber; ahousing surrounding the treatment chamber; a cover for the chamberopening; and a sealing arrangement engaging the chamber opening and thecover to seal the chamber from the housing when the chamber containspressurized gas, the sealing arrangement comprises at least two gasketssurrounding the opening, an intermediate space formed between the atleast two gaskets, and a channel connecting the intermediate space toatmosphere, wherein the channel is designed to serves as a restrictionfor out flowing gas, and wherein gas leaking into the intermediate spaceflows through the restriction and produces an audible sound indicatingthere is gas leakage from the treatment chamber.
 8. An indication deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein a characteristic whistling sound isproduced by gas flowing through the restriction.